Knitting machine



G. P. BOSWORTH.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1919. RENEWED SEPT.9, 1922.

Am m n m 6 p I m 2 P M. m We G. P. BOSWORTH.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1919. RENEWEDSEPTJ, 1922.

1,48 8 172, Patented Oct. 241, 1922..

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@vmfw G. P. 'BOSWORTH.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22. 1919. RENEWED SEPT.9, 1922.

QbQQQ Madness W T M G. P. BOSWORTH.

KNITTING MACHINE. 7 APPLICATION FILED 'ocr. 22. I919- RENEWED SEPT-9, 1922.

Patented Oct 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I Invenzororney.

a. P. BOSWORTI-I. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22. 1919- RENEWED SEPT-9. I922.

1,433,. l Patented 001:. 241, 1922.

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G. P. BOSWORTH.

KNiTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, m9. RENEWED sEPT.9. 1922.

Patented Oct. 24 11922 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6- Patented @et. 24, 1922.

enonen r. BOSWORTH, or CENTRAL FALLS, nnonn rennin), nssremon To HEMPHILL COMPANY, or PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A conr onn'rron or massacnusnms.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Application filed October 22, 1919, Serial No. 832,449. Renewed September 9, 1922 Seria1 No. 587,230.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BOSWORTH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Central Falls, in the county of Providence,

State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in knitting mechanism of'novel character adapted to operate with reciprocating knitting strokes to produce by flat knitting a broad selvaged web having joined therewith a group of narrow strips. The said mechanism comprises as its more essential elements knitting-cams by which the needles are actuated to knit, needles having in connection therewith selective butts which are grouped for striproduction, means for retiring the needles rom operative relations with theknittingcams prior to selection for each strip, group- 's'elect1ve cams arranged for engagement with corresponding groups of selective butts to select the needle-groups required for knitting successive. narrow strips, and needlerestoring means for returning to operative relations with the knittin -cams needles that have been placed out o such-relations.

The invention is shown in the drawings as illustratively embodied in a machine of the same general construction as the wellknown Banner machine, with additions and changes for the purposes of. the invention. The'principles and general construction of the Banner machine are substantiall set .forth in U. S. Letters Patent to J. D. emphill, No. 933,443, granted Sept. 7, 1909.

In the drawings,-

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation sufiicient of the said machine, includin the illustrative embodiment of the invent1on,to render clear the relations, mode of operation, etc, of the parts involved in the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the needle-system and novel cam-system comprised in the said embodiment.

Fig. 4 shows combine d needles and jacksillustrating the different arrangements of selective butts; p

Figs. 5 and 6 show modified forms of the needles and jacks.

tive cams, and Fig. 12 is an end view of such bell-cranks.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation and Fig. 14: a

plan view of one of the operating cam -bars for the group-selective cams.

F1g. 15 is a side elevation of one of the group-selective cams, Fig. 16, an elevation looking at the working endthereof, Fig. 17

a lan view, and Fig. 18 an elevation of the si e opposite that shown in F i 15.

Figs. 19 and 20 are views 0 a glove-unit on the order of that which may be produced by a machine embodying the invention, look-- ing at opposite sides of the same.

In the drawings, the machine-frame is marked 0,. The rotatable needle-cylinder is marked N. The non-rotatable cam-carrier is marked H, the annular ledge adjoining said cam-carrier being marked M. The knitting or stitch-cams are mounted in connection with the cam-block D, Fig. 2. The

parts by which theneedlepylinder is re- '8 on which the 'bevel-gear-Wheel n is fixed,

a toothed sector '5 meshing with the spurpinion, and the rotating gear-Wheel i having a crank-pin connected by a pitman or connecting-rod 11 to the said sector and serving throughv such connection to vibrate the sector'so as tov impart the required reciprocating movement to the needle-cylinder through the described gearing' At g, Figs. 1 and 2, is a pattern-drum upon the patternshaft of the machine, such att'ern drum be: ing employed for controlllng the working of the. various special cams ence has been made.

The Banner machine is constructed in practice with a train of gearing (not shown) to which referin Figs.

for imparting also a continuous rotation in one direction to the needle-cylinder, as well I f in F1g. 2, whereby for tubular knitting relations may be established between gearing and the needle drivin the sad train of cylinder, while for reciprocating knitting the sald train may be disconnected from the said cylinder and'the train'for imparting' reciprocating movement to the cylinder may be connected with the latter.

The needles 1 have in connection therewith knitting-butts 1 which are engaged by the knitting-cams to cause them to knit, and the other butts, hereinafter termed selective butts, which are rovided for cooperation with the group-so ective cams.

The means for placing the needles out of operative relations with the knitting-cams, prior to selection of the group of needles on which a narrow strip is to beknit, may vary in practice. Herein such means cons1stsof a withdrawal cam 2, shown best in Figs. 2 and 3, which, when brought into action as in Fig. 1 acts upwardl against the knittingbutts of all the need es to raise the latter relative to the knitting-ca1ns to thereby place the knitting-butts out of the way of the knitting-cams. Normally the with drawal cam 2 occupies an outwardly retracted position, away of the needle-cylinder, in which it wi 1 not act upon the knitting-butts.

The 4, 5, 6, cc Figs. 7 to 18. The selective butts with which such cams enga e are represented at 3, 4 5, 6, and 7," 4. The groups of selective butts ranged at difi'e'rent levels, selective cams are disposed levels, one above another.

are arat corresponding ative, positions.

The needle-restoring cam is shown at 8, it being arranged for engagement with the knitting-butts 1 to depress the elevated and inoperative needles so butts may be disposed in position to be engaged by the knittingrams. Normally, this close to the periphery of the needle-cylinder.

The machine is adapted for the production of the glove-unit or blank that is shown wrist-portion w, a thumb-strip m that is doubled upon itself and united by its opposite ends with the said unit or blank at opposite sides of a transverse slit formed in the latter, a flat selvaged palm-portion an, four finger-strips m m m, w, of suitable length to form glove-fingers when doubled back upon themselves, and a portion av suitable .for the back of the hand and wrist of a glove. The strips for the second, third,

from the peri hery group-selective cams are shown at 3,.

igs. 3 and and the group- Normally, these cams occupy outwardly-retracted, inoper-- sition to engage that their knitting- 19 and 20, comprising a flat selvaged and little fingers are knit with widenings y, y, and respectively, under-lapping the adjoining finger-strips, and constituting gussets. e

In the operation of the machine, the wristportion w is knit of its full width by reciprocating motion of the needle-cylinder, all of the needles of the series required to produce such width being in operation. On arrival at the 1 oint in the length of such portion at whic the thumb-strip m springs therefrom, the restoring-cam 8 being given its outwardly-retracted inoperative position, the withdrawal-cam 2 is caused to move inward into position to engage with the knitting-butts 1, andit raises all of the needles of the said series to the ino erativelevel so as to place their knitting- 'utts in inoperative'relations with respect to the knittingcams. Following such action, the cam 2 is retired outward. Selective cam 3 is caused to move'inward into position to act upon the tops of the selective butts 3, these belonging to .the' needles intended to be used in knitting the thumb-strip, w, and it depresses such needles to the working level so as to lower their knitting butts into position to be engaged by the knitting-cams. Selective cam 3 then 1s retired outward. Continuance ofthe reciprocating knitting produces the-thumb-strip m. As soon as the latter has been knit of the required length, the needle-restoring cam 8 is caused to move inward into'operative position to act upon the knitting-butts of the needles occupying a raised inoperative position,- and it depresses such needles to the the wide flat selva knit,' the final (portlon of the thumb-strip becoming joine On completion withdrawal cam 2 is moved inward into pothe knitting-butts so as to raise to the inoperative level the needles which were used tion, and selective cam 4 is moved inward to enga e with selective butts 4; of the needles for t e little-fingerstrip. Thereby the said needles are moved down to the working level and placed in operative relations With the knitting-cams. The little-finger strip is knit of the required length and then the withdrawal cam2 is called into action to raise to the inoperative level the needles used in to the said palm-portion of the palm-portion, the

in knitting the palm-por-- working level. vThen ed palm-portion m is c that such needles are brought into action again in knitting the second-finger strip, for. the purpose of forming the gusset y and making such strip broader. On completion of the second-finger strip the withdrawal cam 2 is called into operation and raises to the inoperative level the needles used in knitting such strip, and selective, cam 7 is called into action and engages with selective butts 7 to move down to the work ing level the needles required. for knitting.

the first-finger strip. Some of the selective butts 7 are upon needles which were used in knitting the second-finger strip, so that such needles are brought 1nto action again in knitting the first-finger strip for the purpose of forming .the gusset 3 and making such strip broader. 'After knitting the firstfinger strip of the required length, the needle-restoring cam 8 is brought into action to lower all the needles to the operative level, and knitting proceeds upon all the needles to' form the broad flat selvaged web so for the back of the hand and wrist.

Usually the operation of th'e'machine proceeds so as to produce a succession of gloveblanks or units in string-form, the knitting of portion 0'0 of one blank or unit being continuedto produce the Wrist-portion an of the next succeeding blank or unit, and so on. y In some instances, lengthsof tubular work produced by round and round knitting may be alternated with the flat work produced in the manner just described. 45 v The manner and .means of placing the withdrawal cam 2, the restoring cam 8, and the group-selective cams 3,4, 5, 6, and 7 in their respective operative and inoperative positions under the control of pattern-indicators upon pattern-drum 9 may vary in practice. -.Herein the cams 2 and 8 are furnished with stems 2 8", Fig. l, mounted in guides in stands 2, 8, upon the machineframe, so that the said cams are capable of being moved radially toward and from the periphery of the needle-cylinder. Pins 2, 8, rising from said stems are engaged by the outer ends of contracting spiral springs 2 8 tending to draw the said cams inward toward the working positions of the cams. The groupselective cams 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively are furnished (Figs. 7 to 18) with stems 3 4", 5 6 and 7" mounted in guides in a stand '3 upon the machine-frame, so that such cams also have capacity to move radially. Pins 3, etc., projecting horizontally from saidstems through-slots in one sidewall of stand 3 are engaged by contracting spiral springs 3 etc., tending to draw the respective group-selective cams inward to- Ward their working positions. The employment of springs to act with yielding force to move these various cams inward, when such movement is permitted by the pattern-indicators of drum g, avoids injury from strain or breakage in case a cam should encounter a needle-butt and be arrested thereby in its movement inward.

Under the control of the pattern-indicators of drum g, the needle-withdrawal cam 2 is moved outward into its inoperative position, clear of the needle-butts l by means of a bell-crank 2 connecting-rod 2 and pattern-lever 2 and contracting spiral spring 2. The said bell-crank is pivotally mounted upon one side-wall of stand 2 with its upwardly-extending arm arranged to engage a pin 2 projecting horizontally from stem 2 out through an elongated slot in said sidewall, the outwardly-extending arm of said bell-crank being connected by means of the rod 2 with-the forward arm of the patternlever and such arm of the pattern lever being held in contact with the pattern-drum g by means of the said spring 2. A depression in the line of pattern-indicators presented to the pattern-lever, permits the spring to actuate the pattern-lever, -rod, and bell-crank to move the cam 2 outward into inoperative position, clear of the butts I An elevation in the said line operates the parts reversely to swing the bell-crank inward and permit spring 2 to move the cam 2 into working position for engagement with butts 1" to elevate the needles above the knitting cams.

Thejneedle-restoring cam 8 is operated from the said pattern-lever 2 by means of laterally from stem 8" of said cam 8. It is connected by the rod 8 to the rearward arm of. the pattern-lever, so that the position of the latter controls that of the cam 8. It will be apparent that in consequence of being controlled from the opposite arms of the pattern-lever 2*, the needle-restoring cam 8 will be caused to occupy its'inward or working position when the needle-withdrawing cam 2 is caused to occupy its outward or inoperative position, and vice versa.

The respective group-selective cams are given their working and inoperative positions under the control of the pattern-indicators of drum g, by means of pattern-levers g springs g by which said pattern-levers are moved toward the periphery of the drum, rods g v having their. lower ends joined to said pattern-levers, bell-cranks 3*, etc., pivotally mounted upon stand 3, and cam-bars 3,

etc., connected with said bell-cranks and engaging with the stems 3", etc., of the groupselective cams. Each stem 3", etc., has a notch 3 Figs. 15, 17, and 18, in which the corresponding cam-bar works, and each cambar 3, etc., has an incline upon its outer side adapted to cooperate with one vertical Wall of said notch. Flat surfaces 3 and 3 at opposite ends of incline 3 are presented to said end-wall in the opposite extreme positions of a cam-bar. While the cam-bars occupy their right-hand positions as in Fig. 8, the flat surfaces 3", etc., of the respective cam-bars keep the respective group-selective cams in their outward, inoperative, positions. iVhen a cam-bar is moved toward the left from the position in Fig. 8, the incline 3" permits the spring, as 3 of the corresponding group-selective cam to move the latter inward into operative position for engagement with the corresponding group of selective butts. Movement of such cam-bar from left to right will cause its incline to draw the said group-selective cam outward into inoperative position again.

The needles employed in the machine may be combined with jacks, as in Figs. 4 and 5, with the knitting-butts l upon the needles and the selective butts upon the jacks, as in Fig. 4, or with both the knitting-butts and the selective butts upon the jacks alone, as

- in Fig. 5. Or, instead of employing separately formed jacks, the selective butts may be formed upon extensions of the wire of which the needles are formed, as in Fig. 6.

What is claimed as the invention is 1. Knitting mechanism operating with reciprocating knitting strokes to produce by flat knitting a broad selvaged web having joined therewith a group of narrow strips, including knitting-cams by which the needles are actuated to knit, needles having in connection therewith selective butts grouped for strip-production, means for retiring the needles from operative relations with the knitting-cams prior to selection for each strip, group-selective cams respectively engaging with corresponding groups of selective butts to select the needle-groups required for knitting successive narrow strips, and needle-restoring means for returning to operative relations with the knitting-cams needles remaining out of such relations, for the knitting of broad web.

2. Knitting mechanism operating with reciprocating knitting strokes to produce by flat knitting a broad selvaged web havingjoined therewith a group of narrow strips, including knitting-cams by which the needles are actuated to knit, needles having in connection therewith selective butts grouped for strip-production, a withdrawalcam for placing the needles out of operative relations with the knitting-cams prior to selection for each strip, group-selective cams respectively engaging with corresponding groups of selective butts to select the needle groups required for knitting successive narrow strips, and a needle-restoring cam for returning to operative relations with the knitting-cams needles remaining out of such relations for the knitting of broad web.

3. Knitting mechanism operating with reciprocating knitting strokes to knit a broad flat We'b having joined therewith a group of laterally-overlapping narrow strips, including knitting-cams by which the needles are actuated to knit, needles having in connection therewith 1 selective butts grouped for strip-production and for overlapping gusset-formation, means for placing the needles out of operative relations with the knitting-cams prior to selection for each strip, group-selective cams respectively engaging with corresponding groups of se lective butts to select the needle-groups required for knitting successive narrow strips and their gussets, and a needle-restoring cam for returning to operative relations with the knitting-cams needles remaining out of such relations, for the knitting of broad web.

4. Knitting mechanism operating with reciprocating knitting strokes to knit a broad fiat web having joined therewith a group of laterally-overlapping narrow strips, including knitting-cams by which the needles are actuated to knit, needles having in connection therewith selective butts grouped for strip-production and for overlapping gusset-formation, a. withdrawal cam 100 for placing the needles out'of operative relations with the knitting-cams prior to selection for each strip, group selective cams respectively engaging with corresponding groups of selective butts to select the needle- 105 groups required for knitting successive narrow strips and their gussets, and a needle-restoring cam for returningto operative relations with the knitting-cams needles remaining out of such relations, for the knitting of 110 broad web.

5. In a knitting machine, in combination,

a needle-withdrawal cam, a needle-restoring cam, a pattern, a pattern-lever, and means for controlling the respective cams from op 1 5 posite arms, respectively, of said patternlever whereby one cam is caused to assume working position as the other is moved out of working, position, and vice versa.

6. In a knitting machine, in combination, 120 a needle-withdrawal cam, a needle-restoring cam, springs acting with a tendency to give said cams their working positions, bell-cranks adapted to withdraw said cams from working positions, a pattern, and a pattern-lever 125 having one arm thereof operatively combined with one bell-crank and the other arm thereof operatively combined with another bell-crank.

7. In a knitting machine, in combination, 130

radially-movable needle-withdrawal and -re-' storing cams, springs respectively acting With tendency to move the respective cams inward into Working position, transversely movable cam-bars respectively engaged with the respective cams, bell-cranks for moving the respective cam-bars to bring about out 

